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Dozens Dead, Hundreds Injured After Fire at a Temple in Southern India; Mystery Man in Hat from Brussels Terror Attacks Has Been Arrested; The Royal Family are at the Star of a Week-Long Trip to India; Bernie Sanders Picks Up Another Win in Wyoming Caucuses on Saturday; Brazil Has Political Scandals, Protests, Zika Virus Leading up to Olympics. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired April 10, 2016 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[05:00:17] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, hundreds of people dead -- dozens dead, and hundreds injured after a fire at a temple in Southern India. Rescuers continue the search for survivors.

Plus, a mystery man no more, police in Belgium confirmed that Mohamed Abrini is the man in the hat. CNN surveillance video after before the Brussels if were bomb.

And Britain's William -- Prince William and his wife again a visit to India in Mumbai, we'll have that story ahead.

Live from CNN world headquarters at Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in United States and around the world. I'm George Howell, CNN NEWSROOM, starts right now.

We begin this hour in Southern India, where rescue efforts are still ongoing. 11 hours after an explosion at a massive buyer (ph) during a religious celebration. This happens at a temple during a festival in the southern state of Kerala, nearly 100 people are now dead and hundreds of in -- are injured. The fireworks display got out of control sparking flames.

It is 2:31 in that part of thd world p.m. and that is where Mallika Kapur now joins us following developments live from Mumbai out there. So what can you tell us about this effort to find people who maybe is -- are still trap under the rebel and debris.

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, there is a massive effort underway right now to help people first of all to see if there are any people or any bodies still trap under the rebel. There is also a massive out pouring of grieve across the country and quite an impressive and coordinated effort across the country to get help to this area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted very quickly, he is on his way to the scene of the tragedy taking with him a team of doctors which include bone specialist. We're also seeing Indian navy ships, you know, loading relief and medical supplies. They're going to be taking it to was it area, a helicopter has landed carrying emergency supplies and we've seen a force have been soldiers being deployed from neighboring state and a team of doctors, so there is a massive and coordinated that hit across the country to bring help to this temple complex, to bring help where it needed the most, said it do need help.

As, you know, the death toll a hundred people right now several hundred people are injured, some of them are critically injured and are in hospitals close by whether they treated for injuries, for bones, for complications due to speak here and suffocations for broken bones because not only did we have massive of fire, you know, flames and gas or buildings.

We saw some neighboring buildings within the temple complex of fall and create the rebels, I that see that some people might still be trap inside. George?

HOWELL: Mallika, the investigation is still ongoing, I know, but what do we know at this point about the cause of this fire and the charges that have resulted from?

KAPUR: What we know about what cause the fire is fireworks, it was supposed to be a night of celebration, of devotion and part of that celebration men lighting fireworks and what happened was they were extra fireworks that was stored in a shed within the temple of complex. And some spots from the fireworks that were light fell on this other fireworks that is stored and ignited them.

And we believed there was a very, very, very loud sound that shook all the buildings, you know, the area was in the complex was in claims immediately, causing so many people to loose their life, source we knew about the cause is simply fireworks.

In terms of charges what we're hearing now is that the police are in the closest of filling a case of registering a case against temple authorities, we don't have too many details on that yet, the focus right now really remains in getting medical attention to those who are injured but we are working to get details of what are the police is working on, what kind of gate (ph) they are going to the preparing against temple authorities.

HOWELL: Mallika who were live for us in Mumbai, thank you so much for you reporting and we'll stay in touch with you.

We moved on now to the terror investigation in Belgium. Authorities there say that terrorist who targeted Brussels had originally intended to hit Paris. Police brought in a few suspects over the weekend, identifying two major suspects in the bombing at the Brussels airport and metro station.

[05:05:03] Now prosecutors say that the terrorist cell was planning an attack in Paris. But the arrests of key members force them to strike closer -- closer home to Belgium.

Let's go live to Fred Pleitgen who is following the story for us. Fred, so with these new arrests, are investigators getting a better sense of how broad or how wide this network might be across Europe and possible other attacks. FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely George, I mean it seems like they already gotten a wealth of information so far, if you look at this newest statements by the Belgium federal prosecutors office, they seem to have a better sense of what this group was actually planning and of course that would also give of them someone of a better a sense of who still might be out there and what sort of attacks might be have been a plan for the future.

It's interesting this new info that came because there was some speculation right when the Brussels attacks happen whether or not the original aim of these terrorists attacks might have been a different place than Brussels because you recall that they happen only about three days that after Salah Abdesalam who was believed to be one of the logistical, let say masterminds or one of those logistically behind the Paris attacks that after he was arrested.

I want to read to you real quick the statement from the Belgium federal prosecutor's office because it is quite interesting. They say, "The federal prosecutors can't confirm that numerous elements in the investigation have shown that the terrorist group initially had the intention to strike in France again. Eventually surprise by the speed of the progress in the ongoing investigation they urgently took the decision to strike in Brussels."

And that is something -- that sort of mashes with some of the information that we were getting right after the Brussels attacks where you recall there was a laptop and that was found by one of the suicide bombers and that apparently have this man saying that he felt that this group was a very close to being captured especially since Salah Abdesalam had been imprisoned and that therefore they felt they needed to strike very quickly.

So some of that seems to be corroborated and more importantly probably it seems as though the Belgian authorities are making a lot of progress trying to decipher as you say how wide this network might be and especially who still might be out there who could be dangerous not just for the security here in Brussels but of course in other European places as well, George.

HOWELL: Fred, you say making progress but, you know, the question, are investigators now getting more help, more support from people in these various neighborhoods who may know something or know people who may possibly be involved?

PLEITGEN: Well, I mean it obviously the attacks that happen in Brussels and the attacks that happen in Paris as well were in great shock to the authorities but of course also to many people in these neighborhoods as well, and it really is a very complicated picture that you find. When you go to some of these the neighborhoods, you know, I've been to places like Molenbeek, like Schaerbeek, some of these places that are known to have that some of these people who are radicalized came from there.

And in some cases the families didn't go to the authorities and the families did tell them listen, our son is in danger, he'll being radicalize or our brother is in danger of going to Syria and they feel that in some cases the authorities didn't act on the information that they were being given. On the other hand, that we have also spoken for instance to the mayor of Molenbeek was said of course we need to do more community outreach, we need to make sure that we -- that we give this people a different path and some of the than the path that some of them have taken.

So this a very complex problem one that obviously comes into being from decades of policies that have been in place in this countries decade of course of these places becoming the way that they are right now and it certainly has been identified as something that the authorities here need to deal more with, but also community leaders need to deal more with as well.

HOWELL: Complicated though indeed as you point out. Fred Pleitgen, live for us in Brussels, Fred thank you for your reporting.

The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, has arrived in Hiroshima, Japan. He is meeting with other foreign ministers from G7 countries to discuss Ukraine, North Korea and nuclear arms. Later and Secretary Kerry will visit a memorial for the people killed in the first use of a nuclear bomb in war. It happened in Hiroshima in August of 1945. The United States drop the bomb leading to the end of the World War II.

Before heading to Japan, John Kerry made a surprise to Afghanistan. He met with officials there to discuss political infighting just after his plain to (inaudible) though four explosions went off in the capital city.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh was on the ground there from Kabul and has this report.

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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those four explosions that seen to mostly hit the diplomatic area of Kabul, that's when many embassies are when a key part of the infrastructure, well they came -- we think pretty much minutes of to John Kerry had departed that comes here we have a note from the poor traveling within him stays and he was at the airport significantly before.

[05:10:03] We heard those actually explosions, it's unclear exactly where he was there, but initial reports just it was rockets and that we're not hearing if many major injuries at stage, but as late the night here scanned information available. But where he goes to hammer home frankly how fragile security is. Not just here in Kabul, even at a time of lock down for a key dignitary's visit like this but across the country full stop with this very volatile fighting season, is in the warmness of the months expected to start soon.

John Kerry was here, he said quite clearly to try to ensure the national unity government here that he helped create. A number he has go now in between President Ashraf Ghani, the president here now, and the man he fought the election against, the man who's now the country's CEO Abdullah Abdullah. That not necessarily known to have the best working relationship here. Many have said the administration hamstrung by that rivalry, many key post left not filled and John Kerry was here to make an explicit demand that the government should work as hard as it could towards the Afghan people. In the months that he has left before it hits key deadlines for its future are blotting (ph) to exist, frankly.

But above all, I think the agenda here is being about security. The Taliban on the march in Helmand where they are deeply threatening its main city Lashkar Gah, at this stage and across the country where U.S. officials now are openly accepting how last year was a terrible year for Afghan security forces. They lost five and a half thousand soldiers in that one year alone way more than NATO have lost in this entire campaign here. And of course Afghan civilians as well bearing the brunt of the violence, 11,000 of them injured and killed last year, three and a half thousand actually dead.

It is a terrifyingly bleak sum that we have ahead of us here in Afghanistan. And I think frankly the fact that the lock-down put in place of someone like John Kerry, the U.S. chief diplomat coming here being unable to prevent those four explosions really hammers home quite how fragile Afghanistan is. And so much that needs to be done to put the Taliban on that back first when frankly now they're doing so well in the battlefield they're refusing all demands to talk peace at the table.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Kabul.

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HOWELL: And there is more of Nick's reporting in Afghanistan that we'd like to tell you about. You don't hear much about them but there are battles being waged against militant across the country right now, where white flags don't indicate surrender but instead show how far the Taliban has advanced.

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WALSH: Hundreds of Americans and Britain's for Helmand's, many in the town of Sangin where these pictures show the Afghan army recently in heavy clashes. But now, Afghanistan is quite quickly watching Helmand fall.

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HOWELL: Our Nick Paton Walsh brings us a rare look at how Afghan soldiers are defecting to the other side in the middle of the fight to save Helmand province from the Taliban. That is Monday right here on CNN.

About 30 migrants, say Macedonian authorities violently force them to return to Greece. They say they crossed legally into Macedonia last month and were trying to go on to Serbia. More than 12,000 migrants are living in poor conditions in the Idomeni camp in Greece. They've been stranded there since Vulcan countries closed their boarders last month. Some say they are now losing hope. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMAD, SYRIAN MIGRANT (In Translation): We feel like we are in prison. I feel like I am in prison. I'm banned from moving anywhere or applying anywhere. Two months in Europe and we experienced more injustice than five years of war under Bashar al-Assad. There is no humanity here.

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HOWELL: It has been less than a week now since Greece starting sending back migrants to arrived from Turkey. Athens acknowledges the controversial program needs some improvements.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead this hour, students have gathered outside a university in Bangladesh protesting the brutal death of a Bangladeshi blogger. His murder it's not the first of its kind. Details ahead as NEWSROOM continues.

Plus a Royal trip to India. Find out what William and Kate had planned for their first visit to the country, coming up.

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[05:17:15] HOWELL: In Southern India nearly 100 people are dead there after a fire at this temple that you see pictured before the tragedy. These are images of the after math of the fire that happen there. A firework show during a festival spark the flames more than 250 people are being treated at hospitals with various injuries, we're following the story for you.

In Bangladesh more protest are under way following the brutal murder of the Bangladeshi secular blogger. Machete-wielding attackers ambushed and shot the 26 year old writer Nazimuddin Samad in Dhaka on Wednesday. An al-Qaeda link affiliate in South Asia has claim responsibility.

CNN Sumnima Udas is following the story live for us in New Delhi this hour. Sumnima it is good to have you. So this has been describe just last hour as you told as a small but vocal group of protesters, what do you tell us about their demands given this latest murder?

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the student of Jagannath University was just a fame University that Nazimuddin Samad that attended as the law student they've been it protesting all morning they block off some of the roads leading u p to the campus. Again as we mentioned a small group according to locals they're maybe a maximum of two to 300 of them. That's not a lot of people considering what we're used to when we talk about protest in this part of the word but still they are very determined what they're demanding is action and justice from the government. They're saying that is enough is enough way to many of this attacks that happen.

They are tired, they say of the government's accusing (ph) and also this culture of impunity so they want the government to act. The other thing they keep mentioning this is, you know, is a bit more of that larger impact that this kinds of attack of bloggers is having on Bangladesh, is society of forth mentioning that Bangladesh and Muslims are bind large very moderate and only some of the communities we see it perhaps in the Middle East or even in Pakistan there's a very vibrant intellectual community they discuss ideas. All kinds of ideas that so many news channels there, publications as well. So there is despair that this kind of attacks are will suppress this kind of thought and feel fear so that even regular people not just bloggers who are more outspoken and vocal about this things were atheist in this case. But also this regular people will be too scared to talk and to express their feelings and not they say is very dangerous with society that's looking to change in this progressing. George.

HOWELL: Oh, Sumnima on that point what can you tell us about officials they are saying that if you criticize your religion it has to be done responsibly.

[05:20:05] UDAS: That's right, that's what all the officials we have been talking to the law minister and also the home minister that's the point they keep reiterating. They said look, Bangladesh is a secular country. It is a constitutional right -- freedom of speech is a constitutional right and people should have the right to use that right but at the same time people should be responsible because Bangladesh, Islam is the main religion them whether 90 percent of the people there are Muslim. So people should be responsible about what they stand respect all religions because that in it self is a right. George.

HOWELL: And as far as the caused -- when it comes to the investigation the people behind it. What more do we know?

UDAS: Well, we just got off the phone with the home minister not too long ago and he said, you know, there are these, and a branch of the -- a Bangladesh branch of al-Qaeda has taken responsibility but he denies those case and said that he thinks than he believes that it's actually home grown militants that's behind this latest attack and in fact they're the ones behind most of these attacks against bloggers.

So no arrest has been made so far but they are closely watching two to three people that's pretty said arrest haven't been made because they are not 100 percent sure they are targeting the right people but so an investigation is under way.

He also wanted to mention that 38 people has been arrested so far and face prosecution for the death of 10 bloggers since 2012. So he refused the claims that nothing has been done and people have not been prosecuted. George.

HOWELL: Sumnima, who is live for us in New Delhi, thank you for your reporting and we'll stay in touch with you.

Britain's Prince William and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge are at the start of a week-long trip to India. The two are currently meeting with young cricket players and representatives from three children charities.

Earlier the royals paid their respect to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Later, the couple is due to mingle with some Bollywood celebrities there or more on the royal couple's trip to India we are joined once again by CNN royal commentator and historian Kate Williams. Kate, good morning to you there, live in London.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning George.

HOWELL: It's good to have you as always.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

HOWELL: So, this is certainly an important trip to India and it is a pack schedule for the two royals.

WILLIAMS: It's a very tough schedule. What they've said is they've tried to come in 22 engagements in -- on to seven days because they want to get back to be with their children. So we see them in Mumbai and then they're going to -- go to Delhi and then they are going from Delhi, going to Assam to a National Park to bit of the question of approaching, then they're going to go into Bhutan to meet the king and queen there a very new and historic visit and then they're coming back to Delhi and then they're going to go in to go to Agra on their last day of their tour, at 24 years after Diana, they took this historic pictures there. So they're going to post it for the Taj Mahal on Saturday and then they fly home. So they have very tough schedule.

They flew overnight from London last night and they have a had chance to visit the administration of the Taj Hotel meeting as USA and meeting the people who suffered and struggle during the its where bombing there in 2008 and now there's a cricket match to meet the members of various charities particularly for children. Sso it is a pretty non stop tour.

HOWELL: Any time the royals visit any country, it's a big deal but specifically there in India, how was this couple received?

WILLIAMS: They received very well in India. They have many historic link put in part of India, India one part of the empire across over 70,000 soldiers in India died in the first World War as possibly the empire struggle and William and Kate will be honoring them when they're going to Delhi. And also there are so many people of Indian extraction who lived in Britain, and 1.5 million around.

So there's a very close relationship, a very friendly relationship between Britain and India and certainly it's been some of the world and this be quite the loss over the years. The queen went to 1997, Charles went more recently and I think we also see very significantly for William and Kate.

The beginning of them taking in all most states that might go. The queen is getting back o foreign travel and simply too much for her she is about to turn 90 and that William and Kate has been so beginning to seeing the role that once upon the time the queen did of creating trade links and creating diplomatic links and creating -- and presence of Britain across the world.

HOWELL: Kate, I'd like to show our viewers what we're seeing here on the other side of the screen this lived images of the royal couple there in Mumbai and I'd like to ask you just about the significance specifically when it comes to the Mumbai attacks, the simple fact that they are there to visit, to pay their respects.

WILLIAMS: Yes the Mumbai attacks in 2008, a terrible attack on the Taj Hotel, a very popular, a very expensive hotel, and how much he stated in there "It's very, very nice." And has been relative since then by President Obama, he went to stay there as has Prince Charles.

[05:25:05] So William and Kate are chosen and particularly to say as the person of the hotel they could stay in the British High Commission is within to show few things, to show they respect for those who suffered, those who died and those members of hotels staff who really and awfully brave during the occasion.

And ultimately to show to the world and many people in Britain as well that life must go on they are being concerned to about the tax of that inserted (ph) that the motion will be there -- the security it's been with the heighten terrorist alert. But William and Kate are saying here is it that life must go on and we mustn't be account by terrorism and so a very important message.

HOWELL: Kate Williams lived in London, thank you so much for being with us again and as the royal couple spends time in India.

Also, in the U.K. in an unprecedented move British Prime Minister David Cameron has release his personal tax information for the last six years. Mr. Cameron admitted he benefited from the off-shore trust that was set up by his late father.

Protest criticized Mr. Cameron though after that fun was reportedly mentioned it was so called Panama Papers Link, Mr. Cameron says that he pay all the appropriate taxes after selling his shares before becoming prime minister of the U.K..

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead this hour, a powerful symbol of military tower is joining the fight now against ISIS. More on the B-52S bombers sent the cutter and the effect of America's air campaign in Iraq.

Live in United States and around the world this hour, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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[05:30:01] HOWELL: A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell, the headlines were following this hour.

Rescue operations are underway in Southern India after an explosion and a fire that killed nearly 100 people. It happened in the state of Kerala during a festival there. Hundreds of people are injured. An unauthorized firework show spark the flames early Sunday morning.

Belgian prosecutors say that the terrorist who attack Brussels set out to hit Paris instead. They added that the arrest of some key members of their cell forced them to hit closer to home than in Belgium. Many of the suspects in custody already had ties to the last attack in Paris.

The British Prime Minister has made his -- personal tax information public, six years worth of it. Protesters are criticizing Mr. David Cameron for benefiting from an offshore trust. That fund was reportedly mentioned in the so-called Panama Papers. Mr. Cameron says that he has paid all the appropriate taxes.

U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry has been meeting with foreign Ministers from other G7 countries after arriving in Hiroshima, Japan on Sunday. On the agenda, nuclear arms. Hiroshima is the site of the first use of a nuclear weapon in war by the United States.

The U.S. Air Force is sending B-52 bomber jets to Qatar. The aim there is to help the air campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The fighter jets are replacing B-1 bombers that are being upgraded.

Our Senior International Correspondent Arwa Damon has more now on the impact of US operations in Iraq in the fight against ISIS.

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ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The aim is to cut ISIS supply and escape routes, as the Iraqi army attempts to advance. All along the terrain to the frontlines entirely flatten villages from battles past. When the Kurdish Peshmerga moved to stop the ISIS onslaught after the Iraqi Army fled.

The 15th division of retrained and restructured is the first unit back since then. In this operation, trying to move on the village just past the Peshmerga's defensive berm. Coalition air strikes and artillery pound ISIS targets relentlessly.

We're still hearing the fighter jets overhead. And a few hours we were in the joint operation center watching the U.S. drone feed. There was a berm very similar to this one. The ISIS militants were lined up against it, firing on the Iraqi Army as they were attempting to advance and then there was an air strike. The entire room erupted in cheers and it was such testimony to just how vital coalition air support is when it comes to altering the dynamics of the battlefield.

The Iraqis come up with a plan, the Americans offer advice and integrate their capabilities of which the Iraqis naturally want more.

COL. SCOTT NAUMANN, US ARMY 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION: I think they're seeing success. And they -- success breeds success.

DAMON: Colonel Scott Naumann who refers to ISIS by its Arabic acronym Deash, and his unit with the 10th Mountain Division are partnered with that Iraqi unit of command.

NAUMANN: And as we put more pressure on the enemy up here, the Deash fighters are starting to surge in this area in particular because they feel the pressure towards Mosul and they know that -- particular in this area if they lose this it's only a matter of time because the momentum really is on the Iraqi security forces side.

DAMON: That momentum albeit it's shaky is driven and sustained by the power America brings. Well not right on the frontlines. The U.S. presence has steadily been growing and invariably putting troops in the line of fire.

A marine was already killed on a newly established artillery base which we are not allowed to film. America and Iraq's fates are to certain degree inextricably intertwined on this complex battlefield. But even with the current levels of U.S. support success is neither quick nor guaranteed. And operations can still end in failure.

Hours after we were told that only remnants of the ISIS fighters remained in this village, the Iraqis partially retreated in the moment of battlefield confusion and are now holding defensive positions until more reinforcements can arrive.

Arwan Damon, CNN Al Asad, Iraq.

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HOWELL: America's Choice 2016 and the race for the White House and another win to the West for Bernie Sanders. The Democratic presidential candidate picked up the Wyoming caucuses on Saturday. He has now won eight of the last nine state contests.

[05:35:06] The Vermont Senator claimed victory with more than 55 percent of the vote bringing a major jilt of momentum now in the race against Hillary Clinton.

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BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, I think that it is very fair to say that we will way, way behind it during the first half of this contest, but we are having to say the list a very strong second half and we are closing very fast and now that Wyoming is behind us we are here in New York state.

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HOWELL: Sanders may have won Wyoming, but the 14 delegates awarded were split evenly between the Democrats. Here's how the delegate total stand as now.

Hillary Clinton leads the overall count with an estimated 1,790 delegates. Bernie Sanders has 1,113 delegates. The candidates are currently in the state of New York campaigning ahead of that primary there.

Clinton says she needs that win in order to become the Democratic nominee sooner, but then focus on beating the Republicans. Here what she had to say,

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HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are on the path to the nomination, but I need to win big here in New York because, because the sooner I can become the nominee, I can turn and unify the Democratic Party like I did with President Obama back in 2008. And as sooner we can go after the Republicans full time.

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HOWELL: The big price right now is New York that Democratic primary will be held on Tuesday, April 19th.

The Boston Globe is publishing a satirical front page in Sunday's paper warning readers what a Donald Trump president -- presidency might look like. And here you go the top headline on a thick front page reads, "Deportations to Begin".

Another headline reads, "Market sink as trade war looms." The joke- filled paper dated April 9th, 2017 is in a newspapers ideas section. It was produced by the editorial page of the Globe which is separate. The important to note separate from the NEWSROOM.

And New York will be in the spotlight for next week's CNN Democratic Presidential Debate. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they face- off live from Brooklyn this Thursday, April 14th 9:00 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast only here on CNN.

As for Republicans, Ted Cruz has won the Colorado Republican state convention. He won all 30 delegates of state Saturday, and a total now of 34 delegates in that state.

Right now, Donald Trump still leads the national Republican delegate count. He has 746 delegates, Ted Cruz with 538 delegates and John Kasich, 145. A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to win the Republican nomination.

Let's take a look now at some of the key dates that are coming up in the U.S. presidential race. April 19th, one of the richest delegate prices, that is the New York primary, then April 26, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island hold their Democratic and Republican primaries. That's one to watch.

Then campaigning continues through the spring into summer culminating in the national party conventions. Republicans meet in Cleveland on July 18th where they will officially choose their presidential candidate. The Democrats then choose their candidate a week later in Philadelphia and then it is on to the general election in November.

Now, on to Peru and election is there, at least three people are dead after an attack ahead of Sunday's vote. A civilian and at least two soldiers were killed when they were transporting voting materials. You're looking there at some of the victims relatives. The guerilla group, the Shining Path is suspected to be responsible.

Keiko Fujimora -- Fujimori I should say, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori is expected to win the first round in Peru's presidential election.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. And still ahead, political scandals and the Zika outbreak are just some of the problems weighing on Brazil now, but the country hopes the upcoming Rio Olympics will be a game changer in turning around its image.

Plus, a 16 year old has invented a device. He hopes it will help those with hearing issue. Hear his personal inspiration behind his creation as NEWSROOM continues.

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[05:43:12] HOWELL: Welcome back to NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

Political scandals, protest and the Zika virus. Brazil couldn't have asked for more challenging lead up to the real Olympics and with just four months to go now, only half of the tickets have been sold but, as our Shasta Darlington can reports Brazilian officials are confident the games will be a success.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the ground the obstacle theme nearly insurmountable from dueling political protest yields by a crippling recession and massive corruption scandal to a Zika virus pandemic spread by mosquitoes and links to devastating birth defects. But so far those obstacles haven't had the impact you might expect.

As the glassy promo video show, preparations for the 2016 Olympics actually are looking pretty good. More than 95 percent of the venues complete without going over budget. Organizers are bidding the Olympics will be the game changer.

MARIO ANDRADA, SPOKESMAN, RIO 2016: We want the games to be the turned around moment. We want the games to be to bring good energy. We have been working for almost 10 years for this moment to happen.

DARLINGTON: A challenge deal to be overcome only half the tickets have been sold. Can they still the stands?

ANDRADA: We're very confident in the Olympics tickets that we're going to sell everything that we have remaining around the beginning of the torch relay.

DARLINGTON: He says Brazilians are always late buyers. As for international tourists, organizers still expect half a million visitors to descend on Rio.

The hotel association says they're having been any cancellation despite this faith of bad publicity in fact just the opposite. They say with the cheaper current state, the hotels are almost 100 percent books already.

On the beach tourist are concerned but not enough to stay home.

[05:45:08] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are so many beautiful things here but I know as well about the corruption and about the problems that the society has.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because these are more concern about the Zika virus.

DARLINGTON: City officials are convinced the Olympics will actually inspire return visits.

ANTONIO PEDRO VARGAS, RIO TOURISM BOARD: We're going to showcase this city and probably, we're going to have in 2007 seeing a lot of people wants to comes to Rio.

DARLINGTON: Perhaps for those magic encounters like we had with singers, so George (ph) who sum it all up.

Marvelous city, a thousand enchantments.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: El Nino has been the catalyst for extreme weather patterns across the world. But now, its affects are beginning to diminish.

Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam is here to tell us about that. Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN INTERNATIONAL WEATHER ANCHOR: El Nino has been the hot topic word in the weather world, I should say. But now, we're starting to transition into La Nina, which is, how would I call it, its evil twin, let's say, right?

So, this all has to do with the temperature of waters in the central and eastern pacific, that an interesting graph on the screen you're looking at right now.

I'm going to try and break it down, simplify it as much as possible. What you're looking at here is called, an ensemble model forecast. Basically, all the super computers in the weather world compiled into one and it projects this El Nino circulation and what the ramifications of it actually, I repeat with El Nino. The warmer of the ocean waters in the Eastern Pacific around November 2015, but now, we have dropped into what is the progression into a La Nina season meaning there started to cool, at least the ocean temperatures across the central and eastern pacific.

That has huge ramifications across the world's weather. Let me break it down, North America first. In an El Nino season like we just are coming off of, the jet stream shift southward and we see this increase winds here. These impacts, let's say the development of hurricanes across the Atlantic season.

Winds here is the change of wind with the speed, with height and with altitude and you cannot have hurricane development with strong winds here in the atmosphere, so that often inhibits that hurricane potential and lowers the number of hurricanes that impact United States, in Central America for example.

But, as we work into a La Nina season, that jet stream that we saw to the south, and then El Nino moves north and we decrease our winds here and that means we increase the number of hurricanes.

That's from across the Atlantic. This is significant because the indexes that predict the amount of hurricanes for the upcoming season have just starting to roll out within the past five days or so.

Average for the Atlantic season around 12 named storms, we have about six on average for hurricanes, two major and we've already had one named storm the season so far. So, we're starting to get our season underway, a little on the early side, timultel (ph) if we actually come across with 12.

Hey, look at this video quickly coming out of Russia because I know, George, you've never seen something like this, I certainly haven't.

Wow, spring ski at its finest I guess in Russia taking advantage of warm weather and selfie stakes. Apparently, well, this is what they do in LT (ph) Russia apparently this time of year.

HOWELL: Well, take a look at that. Derek Van Dam, thank you very much.

VAN DAM: Thank you George.

HOWELL: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, a 16 year old spent two years find tuning a special device to help his grandfather and hopefully, others in the future.

We'll hear his story as CNN NEWSROOM continues.

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[05:50:10] PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORT ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Patrick Snell with your World Sport Headlines.

We begin with Spanish Giant. Barcelona is quest to achieve that rear to thinks right now win at Real Sociedad that it is one way ground, the conquering top lines about problems went in recent years. If this trip the San Sebastian were they lost five. They lost four during one. Sure enough, it would be the host and once again take the lead in this will one a moment for 18 year-old Mikel Oyarzabal who scores what would turnout to be the winner.

Incredibly, Luis Enrique's team now win is in three La Liga two straight defeats as we well.

Well we all know around the good super star Cristiano Ronaldo holds more than his fact shell, La Liga record but now he can add one more in a highly significant one. It's just two before that Barcelona might on Saturday. The Portuguese becoming the first play ever to score 30 goals in six successive seasons in Spain top flight as well as flying cost Cruz (ph) part to 10th-place Eibar Colonel are all in just 4.5 Boston now, Atlantic go three back.

And what weekend it was for 19-year-old jockey David Mullins who stays in victory in the race known as the world greatest steeplechaser, the Grand National the 19-year-old, 33 to one shot, rule the world grabbing all the headlines of the ancient race horse on Saturday, the comparing through to overtake the joined favorite, the last summary that stop the dreams are made off for that 19-year-old jockey.

Thanks so much for joining in. That is all for your CNN World sport headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.

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HOWELL: A 16-year-old in the U.S. State of Kentucky took matters into his own hand, this after visiting India where he saw how hard it was to get help or his grandfather hearing problems.

Reporter Kasey Cunningham from CNN affiliate WAVE has the story of the teens double duty creation.

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KASEY CUNNINGHAM, CNN AFFILIATE WAVE: For two years, Mukund Venkatakrishnan spent hours dealing (ph) with frequencies and tingling with tone. And two years is a long time especially.

MUKUND VENKATAKRISHNAN: Because I'm only 16, like two years is a long time for me to spent on something.

CUNNINGHAM: This 16-year-old created this device a hearing test in aid.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: They eliminate the need for doctor altogether.

CUNNINGHAM: First the test, different sounds at different frequencies.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: The plug in headphones are not normal headphone jack right there. Begin this in with the green bottom. If you don't hit the sound, you pick the yellow bottom and after hearing test is completed, the device program is help to be a hearing aid.

CUNNINGHAM: A doubled duty device something even he wasn't sure that he could create.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: I'm just surprise that, it turn out OK, right because you never -- it's hard to like seeing something like this is working, like I wanted to quit a lot of times in the middle.

CUNNINGHAM: But behind is incredibly persistence, there's a big reason why he didn't quite.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: Summer after my freshmen year, I went to India and I stay with my grandparents. And my grandfather had hearing lost for a little awhile.

CUNNINGHAM: And it became Mukund's job to help get him to doctor for a hearing aid and the experience was less than ideal.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: And the process took forever to find an audiologist then once we got there, they reap the song. And so, I kind of look at the problem more and that's kind of where I got into the idea.

CUNNINGHAM: So, when he got home from India, he went to work.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: I started online. I look up how to program online and I thought myself at the program.

CUNNINGHAM: And how to build the device at the price that more people can afford.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: Yeah, 60 bucks is what it is right now. And it's crazy that they cost $50 to $100 each, what we can do for 60 bucks.

CUNNINGHAM: Two years working on the project and he stills plan on making improvements.

VENKATAKRISHNAN: But in one year finally actually get that solution, it's like the best feeling the world, finally breakthrough and get that moment of aha, like eureka, I love that feeling. And I kind of what can we go, my dad and grandfather, you know, it's keeping him on my hand like, there are other people like would be able to afford this device like that's why I'm working on this project.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:55:04] HOWELL: That is so cool. His main goal for that device is to make it smaller and more user friendly. He hopes to distribute the hearing aid to people who can't afford more expensive ones. Good on him.

Now to our remote an inhibited specific island some creative thinking by three stranded mariners paid off. They were rescued on Thursday after a U.S. navy planes spotted palm fronds spelling out the world HELP in sand. The U.S. Coast Guard says the castaways had been on the island for three days. Official say the sailor small vessel was swag by a large wave and they were force to swim two miles to shore at night. Wow.

And, finally we leave you this hour to China and a very colorful show of cultural pride. It's the celebration of the yellow emperor. The story founder for Chinese Civilization, every year rivalries in both Mainland China and Taiwan celebrate their heritage and mark the emperor's birth. These pictures are from Zen Zeng City the emperor's home in Mainland China. Almost 10,000 people form inside China and around the world came together for that big celebration.

We thank you for being with us this hour. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center at Atlanta. For our viewers in the United States, New Day is next. And for our viewers around the world the Best Quest starts on a moment.

Thank you for watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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[06:00:14] HOWELL: From CNN World Headquarter in Atlanta. I'm George Howell.